1 Corinthians 15:3-58

Living_Oracles(i) 16 And if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, 17 Farther, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless; you are still in your sins. 18 Certainly, also, they who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life, only, we have hope in Christ, we are, of all men, the most miserable. 20 But now Christ is raised from the dead, -the first fruit of them who have fallen asleep. 21 For since through a man came death, through a man also comes the resurrection of the dead. 22 Therefore, as by Adam all die, so also by Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But every one in his own rank: Christ the first fruit; they that are Christ's, afterward, at his coming. 24 Then comes the end, when he shall resign the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all government, and all authority, and power. 25 For he must reign till he has put all the enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy, Death, shall be destroyed. 27 For he has subjected all things under his feet. Now when it says that all things are subjected, it is manifest that he is excepted, who has subjected all things to him. 28 Now, when all things are subjected to him, then even the Son himself shall be subjected to him, who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all. 29 Otherwise, what shall they do, who are immersed for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why then are they immersed for them? 30 And why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31 I solemnly declare, by your rejoicing, what I also have in Christ Jesus our Lord, that every day I die. 32 If, after the manner of men, I have fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what is the advantage to me, if the dead rise not? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 34 Awake up as you ought, and sin not; for some of you have not the knowledge of God. For shame to you, I say it. 35 But some one will say, How can the dead be raised up? and with what kind of body do they come? 36 Simpleton! what you sow is not made alive, except it die. 37 And as to what you sow, you do not show the body which shall be produced, but the naked grain; it may be of wheat, or of any other kind: 38 but God gives it a body, as it has pleased him; and to each of the seeds, its proper body. 39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is, indeed, one flesh of men, and another of beasts, and another of fishes, and another of fowls. 40 And there are bodies celestial, and bodies terrestrial: but different, indeed, is the glory of the celestial, and that of the terrestrial. 41 The glory of the sun is one, and the glory of the moon is another, and the glory of the stars another; moreover, star excels star in glory. 42 Just so is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption-it is raised in incorruption: 43 it is sown in dishonor-it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness-it is raised in power: 44 it is sown an animal body-it is raised a spiritual body. There is an animal body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 For thus it is written, "The first man, Adam, was made a living soul-the last Adam, a vivifying spirit." 46 However, that was not first, which is spiritual; but that which is animal, and then that which is spiritual. 47 The first man, from the earth, was earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the earthy, so also are the earthy; and as is the heavenly, such also shall be heavenly. 49 For, as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 50 And this I affirm, brethren, that flesh and blood can not inherit the kingdom of God; neither can corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a secret: we shall not, indeed, all die; but we shall all be changed; 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for it shall sound, and then the dead shall be raised incorruptible; and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible body, must put on incorruption; and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 Now, when this corruptible body shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal body shall have put on immortality, then that saying of scripture shall be accomplished, "Death is swallowed up forever." 55 Death! where is thy sting? Hades! where is thy victory? 56 For the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 Now thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be stable, unmoved; abounding in the work of the Lord at all times, knowing that your labor is not vain in the Lord. 3 For I delivered to you, among the first things, what also I received first-that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures; 4 and that he was buried; and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures; 5 and that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain to this present time, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen by James; then, by all the Apostles. 8 And, last of all he was seen by me, as by one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the Apostles; who am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the congregation of God. 10 But, by the favor of God, I am what I am: and his favor which was bestowed on me, was not vain; for I have labored more abundantly than all of them; yet not I, but the favor of God, which is with me. 11 Well, then, whether I or they, so we proclaim, and so you believed. 12 Now, if it be proclaimed that Christ was raised from the dead, how is it that some among you say, that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there be no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, vain, certainly, is our proclamation, and vain, also, is your faith. 15 Besides, we are found even false witnesses concerning God; because we have witnessed, with respect to God, that he raised Christ; whom he raised not, if, indeed, the dead are not raised.